14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that Microsoft is very keen on improving its Android and iOS app portfolio, but now it looks like all these efforts are quickly paying off.
Living proof is none other than the Microsoft Word app for Android, which has recently set a record for Microsoft mobile apps. Word surpassed the 1 billion downloads milestone on the Google Play store, essentially become the most successful app developed by Microsoft for a mobile operating system.
As AP notes, Word was also the first Microsoft app to hit the 500 million installs mark as well, so it pretty much spearheads Redmond’s push on Android.
Word coming pre-installed on Android
In case you’re wondering how this is possible, it’s also worth knowing that Word comes pre-installed on a series of Android devices as part of partnerships that Microsoft signed with various phone manufacturers. One of them is Samsung, the world’s number one smartphone maker, who offers Word alongside a series of other Microsoft apps, including Skype and LinkedIn.
Every time a new Samsung phone is set up, these apps are downloaded from the Google Play Store, therefore the download count for Microsoft’s apps keep growing.
Worth knowing is that the download count does not include the installs that Android users do with the standalone APK file, so there’s a chance that the app was installed many more times than that overall.
However, this isn’t the only reason Word for Android is so successful. In addition to being offered pre-installed on a series of Android phones, the app is also very popular too. The Google Play Store ratings include more than 3.5 million ratings, with an overall score of 4.5 points out of a maximum of 5.
Other popular Microsoft apps for Android include Microsoft Launcher, Microsoft Edge, OneDrive, and OneNote.